How are calories burned in the body

If you want to lose weight, we often hear, calories burned need more than calorie intake. That is why exercise and diet are two things that need to be done to achieve that goal. But actually how the calorie - burning mechanism in the body? Clinical nutrition specialist Oetoro Samuel said, burning calories in the body occurs due to metabolism. The faster rate of metabolism, the more calories you burn, and vice versa.

Metabolism is the process the body produces energy that is used for basic living needs are also known as the basal metabolic rate (BMR) and daily activities. Metabolic rate varies with each person, so the caloric requirements were also different. "Usually the older the person, the metabolic rate decreases, so that age is a determining factor for the speed of the metabolic rate," Samuel said when contacted by Reuters Health, Friday (01/17/2014).

In addition to age, he continued, the factors that affect the metabolism such as gender and the environment, such as temperature, and several other factors. These factors generally affecting the BMR. Beyond that, the factor can be derived from physical activity

Physical activity, determines the rate of metabolism, then the people who do more physical activity will burn more calories than a little physical activity. The same thing is also spoken by a physician observer lifestyle and physiologists, Grace Judio-Kahl. He said, BMR is the energy required to maintain life, such as body temperature, the lungs, heart rate, and other body systems. The number of calories needed for BMR is relatively fixed, but the extra calories for other activities that are different, depending on their physical activity.

"If a little activity, rarely exercise, for example, only BMR calorie needs plus 30 percent. While someone who actively engaged caloric needs can reach BMR plus 40 to 50 percent," said the owner of the clinic this lighthouse.

Grace explained, so that the body can burn more calories with optimal, then an increase in physical activity needs to be done. But other than that, in fact someone can also increase BMR, that is by increasing the muscle mass of the body.

Muscles of the body, he explained, requires more energy so that most people with more muscle mass also have a higher BMR. "How to increase muscle mass or strength training can lift weights," he explained.